THE NEW Inverness Airport rail station is now open and passenger services begin tomorrow.
To mark the official opening of the new station, the first train to call at Inverness Airport was piped onto the platform.
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth was in attendance and welcomed by pupils from Croy Primary school to plant a tree and bury a time capsule.
Guests including representatives from the local community, Highland Council, HITRANS and Inverness Airport were also in attendance for Gilruth to unveil a plaque to mark the opening of the new Highland station.
The station was described as a “station for the islands too” with guests using the train today to access the airport to fly to Stornoway.
The new station is part of a wider £42 million Scottish Government investment in Scotland’s Railway and will improve transport links to the new town of Tornagrain and the growth of Inverness Airport Business Park, acting as a catalyst for further investment and sustainable economic development in the region.
The investment will add capacity to the route, build resilience, and enable future freight growth encouraging removal of HGVs from the roads.
It provides another route to the airport in addition to the existing regular bus service and includes an upgraded active travel path linking with the airport terminal. There is also an improved access road to the station for motorists and access to both platforms for pedestrians and cyclists.
Jenny Gilruth, Minister for Transport said: “I am delighted that Inverness Airport station is now complete and that services will start calling at the station for the first time this Friday (3 February).
"The site was one of my earliest visits as Transport Minister and gives me a first-hand opportunity to see the significant progress that has been made in a short space of time.
”I’d like to thank everyone involved for the collaborative working that has delivered this fantastic new station.”
Alex Hynes, managing director of Scotland’s Railway said that he looks forward to services calling at, and passengers using, Inverness Airport and “to seeing the positive impact the station will have in the area in years to come.”
Inglis Lyon, Managing Director, Highlands & Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) said: “Inverness Airport plays a key role in opening the Highlands to the rest of the world, and it is huge for the area that we join major airports around the world in having a designated rail link. My congratulations to all involved in making this happen.”
